It may be about time to buy only dumb monitors, and buy the television tuner portion as a separate box, if you even still need one.

Of all the television sets I have owned since 1985, the native tuner included inside the device has been used maybe 2% of the time. The only advantage I have ever seen from buying a display screen as a television set is that it comes with speakers loud enough to hear from across a large room, and has as many as six different input ports. None of the screens I now own currently decode their own NTSC/ATSC/QAM signals.

My first "smart" TV was also my last, because LG made it obsolete within months of me buying it. Now it also functions only as a dumb screen, and is not allowed on my home network. Never again.

You don't need a smart television now. You don't even need a television. You need a monitor with HDMI inputs and speakers.

Maybe...? It is certainly the case that many non-smart TVs are focused on the signage industry. They might be brighter and more saturated than a conventional TV. They might be less capable of displaying smooth motion. On the other hand, they're built to be somewhat more sturdy and with more professional features. They have additional mounting features, serial port controls, and the build quality to run 24/7.

I'm using an NEC E-series 55" commercial display as my TV and gaming monitor. It's not a great TV, but it is solid and it's way better than the one it replaced.

Do you have to configure it?

If it's never connected to the network....

This is vague; inferior panels vs what? Smart TVs? Monitors? Projectors?

Can't you turn a smart TV into a dumb TV?

Exactly. My TV and DVD player would very much like to know my router's wifi password so they can connect to the internet. Ain't gonna happen.

Is that even possible anymore? About 2-3 years ago it seems like "smart" TVs completely took over.

My experience has been that you have to pay extra for a dumb TV right now, likely because of issues of scale. My last TV was an NEC E-series Commercial Display. Aside from not being encumbered by any smart-features, it has a serial port on it, to make automation even easier.

But I could have saved a lot of money by going with a conventional Smart TV, and it would have been easier to shop for it. Commercial displays aren't hanging on the wall at your local Best Buy, although they might be hanging on the wall at your local bar, restaurant, bank, etc.

Even the budget Vizios now have smart features.

Do you mean - "Vizio"?

Sure, but it's totally possible to just sit on the sofa and watch it rather than type in your wifi password and connect it to the internet.

AS long as you just use it as a dumb screen, physically disconnected from the network, it'll keep doing it's job for year and years.

My TV is a Smart TV. I've never use that part of it. In fact, it came with a second remote control for managing the Smart features and I've never even put batteries in it let alone given the panel network access.

It's been happily humming along in dumb mode for about 4 years I think. Just plug a cheap accessory of your choice in (Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, self built HTPC etc) and enjoy!